1. Field
This disclosure generally relates to the field of computer graphics. More particularly, the disclosure relates to computer graphics systems for capturing and stylizing hair for 3D fabrication.
2. General Background
A common goal in the field of computer graphics is to generate data-driven methods, i.e., programmatic paradigms with program statements that describe data that is matched rather than code that is processed in sequence, for building geometric models of humans. Recent advances have led to the development of configurations for 3D face and body scanning, motion capture, and real time performance capture. Such configurations are typically used to produce computer generated characters used in fields such as video games, films, and medical analysis.
Some current computer graphics systems also support the fabrication of physical goods such as personalized figurines, i.e., miniaturized statues of a person, object, etc. These personalized figurines are typically generated by scanning real people, objects, etc., creating a 3D computer model from the scan, and then utilizing a 3D printer to reproduce the physical goods from the 3D model. Physical goods of surprising realism can be created with sufficient resolution and fidelity in the scanning process, however, detailed features such as hair remain difficult to accurately capture and reproduce.
Although a person's hair is a defining and recognizable characteristic, it is to capture and reproduce a product such as a personalized figurine. The current systems are limited in that they do not suitably capture personalized hairstyles for physical reproduction of a personalized figurine. Since a person's hairstyle may contribute so substantially to the recognizability of that person, i.e., almost as much as a person's face contributes to that person's recognizability, the reproduction quality of a personalized figurine with current systems is limited.
Therefore, a configuration that automatically reduces the complexity of hair to an abstract and printable 3D surface while capturing the essential structural and color elements that define the hairstyle is needed. A configuration is also needed that may be used in conjunction with existing facial scanning technology to generate a personalized figurine, virtual character, etc. based on facial features and hairstyle features.